The heartwarming movie, Hidden Figures, reveals the overlooked and crucial contributions from a pivotal moment in American history. Through historical footage, we are treated to President John F. Kennedy speaking about NASA’s mission to land a man on the moon. President Kennedy galvanized an entire country behind a seemingly mind-boggling task: to send a man to the moon and return him safely to earth. The team at NASA easily understood and connected with the mission, vision and values that the President espoused. In the same way, leaders and organizations that succeed in connecting their people to a greater purpose can expect to reap the rewards of a robust culture along with healthy outcomes.
As an agent of change, how do you ensure your organization is executing on your transformation’s purpose?
“I don’t know everyone’s name. I’m embarrassed because I think I should know their names.”
When I interviewed the president of a big insurance firm, I didn’t realize that I’d strike a nerve so soon after our conversation began. This was years ago, but my recollection is powerful.
My admiration for Challenger brands—brands that look squarely in the eyes of the incumbents, the Goliaths of a category, and say “There is a better way and here it is”—stems from a discipline and devotion to their Purpose that isn’t swayed by fashion, trend or whim. They remain focused on the reason their founders began the company to start with.
Disturbing employee quotations
“He would find a hole in the data and then explode.”
“I would see people practically combust.”
“There are so many people running for the door not just because the ship is sinking, but because the captain of the ship is screaming at them, blaming it on them, and telling them it’s their fault.”
“The joke in the office was that when it came to work/life balance, work came first, life came second, and trying to find the balance came last.”
“You learn how to diplomatically throw people under the bus.”
Rich Berens, President of Root Inc., and Karl Thomas, Senior Director of Brand Culture and Internal Communication for Hilton Worldwide, present at Human Synergistics’ 1st Annual Ultimate Culture Conference.
Purpose. It’s a trending topic for businesses today. A quick Google search of the phrase “company + purpose” produces a whopping 1,030,000,000 hits. Harvard Business Review has published literally dozens of articles on the subject in the past 12 months alone. And leaders across the country – and the world – are paying attention; working to figure out what role purpose should play in their organizations and in their cultures, because this topic is becoming increasingly near and dear to their employees’ and customers’ hearts.
Organisations are clamouring to join the race to proclaim their higher purpose, raison d’être, new principles and supporting values and programmes. And imbed sustainability consciousness into their culture. It seems that business has awakened to the need to heal, sustain and nurture the environment, society and the economy; to adopt people, planet and profit bottom lines. There has been an accompanying proliferation of sustainability consultancies, service providers, academic papers and conferences.
When the CEO of one of the nation’s largest pharmacy chains announced that the company would stop selling tobacco products in its 7,700 drug stores, he made headline news and set a powerful example for others to follow. CVS Caremark (recently renamed CVS Health) CEO Larry Merlo put a firm stake in the ground by voluntarily forgoing a source of $2 billion a year in revenue.
So, you might be wondering, what was he thinking?
Is happiness a driver of business results? How do you go about improving happiness in an organization? We discussed these and other subjects as part of a CultureUniversity.com interview with Jenn Lim, CEO of Delivering Happiness. She started Delivering Happiness with Tony Hsieh of Zappos after he wrote the best-selling book by the same name and they are building a community with the greater goal of nudging the world towards passion, purpose, and a happier place.
This panel discussion, “Culture as the Gatekeeper To Success: Realize, Reorganize, Run With It” focused on the critical role of organizational culture in driving success. Panelists shared insights from diverse organizational environments, including a not-for-profit undergoing succession planning, a police department rebuilding community trust, and an organization expanding globally.
The discussion highlighted how culture influences organizational outcomes, with a focus on recognizing the need for cultural change (Realize), planning interventions (Reorganize), and implementing actions (Run With It). Robert A. Cooke, Ph.D., a leading expert in organizational development and CEO of Human Synergistics International, was among the panelists. He presented valuable perspectives on measuring and applying organizational culture through tools like the Organizational Culture Inventory® (OCI®), drawing from his extensive research and experience in the field.
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Welcome to Human Synergistics’ Privacy Policy for Survey Respondents and Simulation Participants Thank you for visiting this Human Synergistics International (HSI) Web site. HSI creates and offers, via the Internet, systems, surveys, and exercises for individual, group, and organizational development. You have been invited to participate in one or more of our surveys and exercises […]
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